Discusses changes implemented in Italian higher education during the last 10 years to bring it into line with other European systems. Main changes included the introduction of short-cycle courses, changes in the mechanism related to public financing of universities, greater pedagogical self-regulation, and establishment of a system of periodical…

Discussion of trends in the accountability movement in higher education considers accountability versus autonomy, effects of massification, limitations of public expenditures, measuring institutional performance in the United States and United Kingdom, emerging performance-based reforms, and commonalities among performance-based systems. Notes…

An examination of trends in university-government relationships in Canada looks briefly at the situations in five provinces recently undergoing reviews of their higher education systems (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba), and details the circumstances in Ontario, which has the largest provincial system of higher…

Discussion of Scottish higher education looks at the university funding mechanism, issues in finding the balance between autonomy and accountability, institutional mission and legal position, and the larger context of European higher education. It is concluded that universities should relate their needs to specific missions in support of claims…

Discussion of fiscal management in the reformed higher education systems of Eastern/Central Europe begins with analysis of reform attempts in two British universities and relates them to Eastern and Central European issues. It is argued that institutions must adopt a holistic approach to managing change and for addressing various staff, structure,…

This study aims to comparatively explore the role of the state (federal policy) in distance-education initiatives in the higher education communities of Sweden and the United States. In a globalized context, education institutes now have the capabilities to provide education and educational resources more efficiently and to a wide-ranging and…

This article identifies some of the implications of corporate forms of higher education governance for the management of South African universities. It explores corporate higher educational governance with reference to institutional autonomy incorporating academic freedom. It is the contention of this article that the primary driver of higher…

The Schools for the 21st Century (C21) Consortium was created in 1988 to produce change within 30 schools in a zone of the Seattle School District. Changes in four areas--staff development, networking among the schools, school-community linkages, and school restructuring--were implemented under "School Focused Leadership," a move toward…

This report contains the findings of the first year of a 2-year Hudson Institute study of U.S. charter schools, which focused on their startup problems, solutions to the problems, and the policy environments in which such schools are most likely to thrive or falter. Data during 1995-96 were derived from site visits to 35 charter schools, which…

There has been a rapid increase over the past 5 years in both the number of charter schools in the United States and the enthusiasm for the concept. Most research about charter schools has not addressed how charter schools create and sustain high-quality learning communities. This paper presents findings of a study that investigated how learning…

As of 1996, charter schools were just emerging in the Northwest region of the United States. This publication presents the proceedings of a symposium held to review information about charter-school policy, operations, and outcomes. A cross-section of leaders in education, government, and community from the states of Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon,…

Since 1988, education deregulation policies in the Netherlands have granted more autonomy to schools. This paper presents findings of a study that analyzed the changing role of school managers that has resulted from such policies. The study identified underlying values in the attitudes of school leaders toward their changing roles as managers of…

During 1989, the administration of the New Zealand education system underwent the most dramatic change since its inception as a national system in 1889. The changes affected principals, who took on greatly expanded managerial responsibilities while continuing their traditional role of professional leadership. Principals were also responsible to…

This report was prepared in response to requests by Senators Specter and Kennedy for information regarding charter schools. It presents data on the following: the number of charter schools approved under state law; characteristics of charter-school instructional programs; factors for school autonomy; accountability mechanisms; and the challenges…

This volume contains speeches and papers given at the International Conference on Academic Freedom and University Autonomy held in Sinaia, Romania, May 5-7, 1992. Section 1 contains introductory addresses by Federico Mayor, Maitland Stobart, Hinrich Seidel,and Walter Kamba. Section 2 contains 18 papers that address connotations and challenges of…